Letters to the editor for Thursday, December 28, 2012

Published: Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 5:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 8:25 p.m.

Engines revving ever after

It is interesting to note who gets to approve extending Biketoberfest — the Halifax Area Advertising Authority (HAAA) board and the Daytona Beach City Commission. What is glaring by their absence are other city commissions, such as the Ormond Beach City Commission.

It's not as if the bikers limit their presence to Daytona Beach. Each fall, one can see and hear those bikers as they ride along State Road A1A through Ormond Beach as well as other local areas. They spread their impact throughout the county, and even reach well north and west of Main Street.

The HAAA is a strong advocate for local business interests, as are all city commissions. After all, those bikers bring money, which brings sales, which bring profits and taxes — which bring smiles to our business owners and local politicians. Peace and quiet for ordinary residents? Nonsense! Who might advocate for them when there is money to be had?

What am I thinking? We all know Biketoberfest will be extended to 10 days.

But wait a minute. Bike Week and Biketoberfest only cover four weekends; each year has 52. Oh, oh. Just think how many profits and taxes can be gained if they find ways to bring those bikers down here every weekend. Bike Christmasfest. Bike Easterfest. Bike Thanksgivingfest. Bike Springfest. I have no doubt the HAAA can come up with something to cover every weekend of the year. And I'm sure those business people and politicians are salivating at the thought of all that Northern money filling the local coffers.

Who cares about the noise? Bring it on!

JOHN ORLANDO

Ormond Beach

Blaming the wrong ones

Most of the problems being blasted about on the media hourly and daily could be easily solved by right-thinking elected officials in Congress and the White House. They want us to blame guns for the shootings, when it's the persons holding them who are the murderers. Blame the "fiscal cliff" on the poor souls trying to survive on Social Security and having to rely on Medicare, Medicaid, and whatever other help they can get due to being elderly, ill, and/or unemployed. Our veterans, who are all volunteers, can't get the help they need when they return from the horrors of war maimed and ill. Their families are living on poverty level money in many cases, and the elder veterans have a hard time getting anything from the Veterans Administration. These are a lot of problems, but the people are the victims of them, and not the cause .

This version of Congress is the weakest, lily-livered group ever to embarrass us as a nation, along with the always-apologizing president. Methinks that Barack Obama has bitten off more than he can possibly chew now, and is scrambling, trying to get off a sinking ship by raising the debt ceiling and taxes.

Stop the hemorrhaging of our precious money to countries that hate our guts. We need some wise limits on our budgets; stop padding the various bills in Congress with ulterior-motive items that have no bearing on the original intent. If Obama has an agenda to ruin this country, it's certainly being aided and abetted by his cronies or even some of his enemies in Washington.

Please, America, make your voices heard! Email, write, or call your representatives and the White House and let them know that "we've had enough and we're not going to take it anymore!"

SUZANNE BARBER

New Smyrna Beach

Schools don't need guns

It seems that Wayne LaPierre has never heard of "crossfire" or "friendly fire."

Can you imagine a good guy with an assault rifle and a bad guy with an assault rifle engaged in an "OK Corral" shootout at a crowded school of youngsters? Duh!

J. TED PETTY

Palm Coast

Better solutions to violence

I lived in Somalia (1992-93) as a volunteer nurse where U.S. troops tried to disarm folks. The folks from one village voluntarily gave up their weapons in hopes they would be protected by the troops. After nightfall, evil folks from another neighborhood, who had hidden their weapons during the collection, slaughtered everyone in the unarmed village, except a baby and one elderly lady. The baby had a bullet in the abdomen and did not survive surgery. The remaining woman was the only survivor in the whole village.

It was a horrible day and big reminder that we aren't going to solve the gun problem or prevent further massacres without addressing our mental and social ills.

MARY LIGHTFINE

Daytona Beach

Magazine chose poorly

Time magazine has selected Barack Obama "Person of the Year" two years in a row. Shame on you the first time, shame on me the second. Now I know why I cancelled my subscription.

I wonder if Time folks forgot all the promises Obama made only four years ago. It's amazing how fast some folks forget. How about his promise to have the most transparent administration of them all? How about his promise to reduce the debt in half his first term — or he would be out of a job? How could Time forget about the 2 a.m. meeting behind locked doors to pass Obamacare, with only Democrats present? Remember Nancy Pelosi's comment, that Congress should to pass the bill "so you can find out what's in it?" What a joke.

Remember the trillion-dollar stimulus that would create millions of jobs? It didn't create many jobs but it did add 3 million or so food stamp recipients, or should I say three million more votes? By the way, 50 million food stamp votes plus the 99-week extension on unemployed folks is almost how many votes it took for him to win re-election. Sounds suspicious to me.

Hey, Time, next year when you choose the person of the year would you consider me? That is, if you are still in business.

<p class="bold allcaps">Engines revving ever after</p>
<p>It is interesting to note who gets to approve extending Biketoberfest &mdash; the Halifax Area Advertising Authority (HAAA) board and the Daytona Beach City Commission. What is glaring by their absence are other city commissions, such as the Ormond Beach City Commission. </p><p>It's not as if the bikers limit their presence to Daytona Beach. Each fall, one can see and hear those bikers as they ride along State Road A1A through Ormond Beach as well as other local areas. They spread their impact throughout the county, and even reach well north and west of Main Street. </p><p>The HAAA is a strong advocate for local business interests, as are all city commissions. After all, those bikers bring money, which brings sales, which bring profits and taxes &mdash; which bring smiles to our business owners and local politicians. Peace and quiet for ordinary residents? Nonsense! Who might advocate for them when there is money to be had? </p><p>What am I thinking? We all know Biketoberfest will be extended to 10 days. </p><p>But wait a minute. Bike Week and Biketoberfest only cover four weekends; each year has 52. Oh, oh. Just think how many profits and taxes can be gained if they find ways to bring those bikers down here every weekend. Bike Christmasfest. Bike Easterfest. Bike Thanksgivingfest. Bike Springfest. I have no doubt the HAAA can come up with something to cover every weekend of the year. And I'm sure those business people and politicians are salivating at the thought of all that Northern money filling the local coffers. </p><p>Who cares about the noise? Bring it on!</p><p><b>JOHN ORLANDO</p><p>Ormond Beach</b></p><h3>Blaming the wrong ones</h3>
<p>Most of the problems being blasted about on the media hourly and daily could be easily solved by right-thinking elected officials in Congress and the White House. They want us to blame guns for the shootings, when it's the persons holding them who are the murderers. Blame the "fiscal cliff" on the poor souls trying to survive on Social Security and having to rely on Medicare, Medicaid, and whatever other help they can get due to being elderly, ill, and/or unemployed. Our veterans, who are all volunteers, can't get the help they need when they return from the horrors of war maimed and ill. Their families are living on poverty level money in many cases, and the elder veterans have a hard time getting anything from the Veterans Administration. These are a lot of problems, but the people are the victims of them, and not the cause . </p><p></p><p>This version of Congress is the weakest, lily-livered group ever to embarrass us as a nation, along with the always-apologizing president. Methinks that Barack Obama has bitten off more than he can possibly chew now, and is scrambling, trying to get off a sinking ship by raising the debt ceiling and taxes. </p><p>Stop the hemorrhaging of our precious money to countries that hate our guts. We need some wise limits on our budgets; stop padding the various bills in Congress with ulterior-motive items that have no bearing on the original intent. If Obama has an agenda to ruin this country, it's certainly being aided and abetted by his cronies or even some of his enemies in Washington. </p><p>Please, America, make your voices heard! Email, write, or call your representatives and the White House and let them know that "we've had enough and we're not going to take it anymore!"</p><p><b>SUZANNE BARBER</p><p>New Smyrna Beach</b></p><h3>Schools don't need guns</h3>
<p>It seems that Wayne LaPierre has never heard of "crossfire" or "friendly fire." </p><p>Can you imagine a good guy with an assault rifle and a bad guy with an assault rifle engaged in an "OK Corral" shootout at a crowded school of youngsters? Duh!</p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p><b>J. TED PETTY</p><p> </p><p>Palm Coast</b></p><h3>Better solutions to violence</h3>
<p>I lived in Somalia (1992-93) as a volunteer nurse where U.S. troops tried to disarm folks. The folks from one village voluntarily gave up their weapons in hopes they would be protected by the troops. After nightfall, evil folks from another neighborhood, who had hidden their weapons during the collection, slaughtered everyone in the unarmed village, except a baby and one elderly lady. The baby had a bullet in the abdomen and did not survive surgery. The remaining woman was the only survivor in the whole village. </p><p>It was a horrible day and big reminder that we aren't going to solve the gun problem or prevent further massacres without addressing our mental and social ills.</p><p><b>MARY LIGHTFINE</p><p>Daytona Beach</b></p><h3>Magazine chose poorly</h3>
<p>Time magazine has selected Barack Obama "Person of the Year" two years in a row. Shame on you the first time, shame on me the second. Now I know why I cancelled my subscription. </p><p>I wonder if Time folks forgot all the promises Obama made only four years ago. It's amazing how fast some folks forget. How about his promise to have the most transparent administration of them all? How about his promise to reduce the debt in half his first term &mdash; or he would be out of a job? How could Time forget about the 2 a.m. meeting behind locked doors to pass Obamacare, with only Democrats present? Remember Nancy Pelosi's comment, that Congress should to pass the bill "so you can find out what's in it?" What a joke. </p><p>Remember the trillion-dollar stimulus that would create millions of jobs? It didn't create many jobs but it did add 3 million or so food stamp recipients, or should I say three million more votes? By the way, 50 million food stamp votes plus the 99-week extension on unemployed folks is almost how many votes it took for him to win re-election. Sounds suspicious to me. </p><p>Hey, Time, next year when you choose the person of the year would you consider me? That is, if you are still in business.</p><p><b>HAMPTON DAWSON</p><p>Ormond Beach</b></p>